Monitoring and regulating cyanobacterial metabolites (microcystins and geosmin) in aquatic systems.

Cyanobacterial secondary metabolites can cause serious harm to animals and humans (cyanotoxins) and can have a major financial impact on the potable water and aquaculture industries (taste and odour compounds). Understanding the factors that affect cyanotoxin production can help in exploring means for the control of these secondary metabolites. One of the most prominent cyanotoxins are microcystins and their sister compound nodularin. The biological role of microcystins is poorly understood. A pheromonal effect was observed applying a novel stable isotope labelling (15N) method. Microcystin- LR has been shown to stimulate culture growth, limit microcystin synthesis, and affect the distribution of microcystin-LR between the intra- and extracellular matrices. Furthermore the control of microcystins in potable water has been explored applying photocatalysis over titanium dioxide. A novel product called Photospheres(TM) was assessed in its photocatalytic efficiency in the destruction of 12 microcystin analogues and nodularin. The photocatalytic efficiency of the Photospheres(TM) was further explored in the degradation of four common waste water pollutants (2-chlorophenol, p-cresol, Acid Orange 74, and trichloroethylene) and in a custom built reactor using light emitting diodes as source of irradiation. The monitoring and regulation of cyanobacterial taste and odour compounds, especially geosmin and 2- methylisoborneol is important in the potable water and aquaculture industries. A rapid, robust, sensitive, and cost-effective analysis method using SPE-GCMS has been developed and is capable of detecting both compounds to sub nano gram levels. The method was successfully applied on spiked laboratory and environmental samples (loch and fishfarm waters). The photocatalytic destruction of both 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin was explored with a custom built flow reactor that was able to degrade > 95 % of both compounds in spiked and environmental samples. Furthermore the application of silicone rubber membranes as passive samplers was explored in spiked and environmental samples, demonstrating that silicone rubber membranes can successfully be used in environmental applications to deliver rapid and accurate determinations of both 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin

Enabling the uptake of renewables through economical hydrogen energy storage systems: studentship case study.

Collaboration between academic research, teams of industry professionals and research students on the research project 'Renewable H2 Energy storage systems for enabling projected increase of renewables onto electrical power grids', enabled all involved to benefit from different aspects of views, experience and practical solutions

The realities of a part-time PhD

According to a recent review (Kulej & Park, 2008, cited in Hooley et al., 2009) 32 % of full-time PhD students are below the age of 25 while just 5 % of part-time students are. This statistic shows that amongst graduates the latter option is highly unpopular. Worryingly, this same survey showed that 73 % of full-time PhD students achieve their doctorate vs. only 48 % of their part-time counterparts. Given this statistic, who would want to be a part-time PhD student? Nevertheless, amidst the biggest UK financial cuts in generations, the amount of graduates considering the self-funded part-time route is likely to increase in the face of slashed departmental budgets. With psychology being such a prominent degree, and so many people wanting to take it to a career level, it seems likely that a substantial number of scholars are going to pursue their science in whatever way they can

North-east property survey 2012.

Businesses are optimistic about the future, expecting to achieve their overall objectives and to see both turnover and profits increase. They see opportunity in their sector with over 40% stating that they plan to grow and expand their operations and another 50% planning to consolidate their investment. This is good news for the North-east because if planned growth and expansion objectives are met, these would translate into job creation and a higher contribution from the sector to the regions economy. However, in order to meet objectives and achieve the anticipated growth, a number of areas must be prioritised and addressed. Respondents identified the most important two areas as improvements in infrastructure and more access to finance and investment. Specifically, it is very clear from these results that the development of the AWPR will represent the most important stimulus to the future viability and success of the property sector in North-east Scotland. To summarise, the property sector is stable, viable and shows potential for future growth. However, this growth can only be achieved with the delivery of developments in local infrastructure and improvements in the ability of the sector to access finance and investments for its projects, both issues that other sector surveys have identified as critical. Interested stakeholders must therefore work to achieve these foundations and enhance the positive environment which is already facilitated by our regions strong economic profile

Problem dependent metaheuristic performance in Bayesian network structure learning.

Bayesian network (BN) structure learning from data has been an active research area in the machine learning field in recent decades. Much of the research has considered BN structure learning as an optimization problem. However, the finding of optimal BN from data is NP-hard. This fact has driven the use of heuristic algorithms for solving this kind of problem. Amajor recent focus in BN structure learning is on search and score algorithms. In these algorithms, a scoring function is introduced and a heuristic search algorithm is used to evaluate each network with respect to the training data. The optimal network is produced according to the best score evaluated. This thesis investigates a range of search and score algorithms to understand the relationship between technique performance and structure features of the problems. The main contributions of this thesis include (a) Two novel Ant Colony Optimization based search and score algorithms for BN structure learning; (b) Node juxtaposition distribution for studying the relationship between the best node ordering and the optimal BN structure; (c) Fitness landscape analysis for investigating the di erent performances of both chain score function and the CH score function; (d) A classifier method is constructed by utilizing receiver operating characteristic curve with the results on fitness landscape analysis; and finally (e) a selective o -line hyperheuristic algorithm is built for unseen BN structure learning with search and score algorithms. In this thesis, we also construct a new algorithm for producing BN benchmark structures and apply our novel approaches to a range of benchmark problems and real world problem

Lessons from post-occupancy evaluation and monitoring of the first certified passive house in Scotland.

This paper describes an investigation carried out to understand the performance in practice of the first certified Passive House in Scotland and associated low or zero carbon technologies LZCT. The aim was to provide some useful feedbacks on actual performance in order to inform and hopefully improve building industry processes and policy. Monitoring was carried out on three dwellings on the west coast of Scotland. All dwellings are within 250m of each other with similar orientation and occupancy but were built to different standards representative of: 1950s Scottish building standards; 2010 Scottish building standards; and Passive House standards. The Passive House included mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), air to air heat pump and solar thermal hot water heating LZCT systems which are in general being encouraged for new build and retrofit. The monitoring was carried out over 1 year and included indoor environment (RH, CO2, T), outdoor conditions (Solar, T, RH), energy use (Watts, kWh), operation schedules, and hot water system temperatures (T). In parallel with the monitoring, the Passive House and associated LZCT were investigated by inspection and observation and by comparison with both the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and the recommendations of the Certified Passive House Designer course. There were many interesting findings from the investigation, these included: lower and more consistent CO2 levels in the Passive House than in the houses without MVHR; poor layout and ducting of MVHR system giving poor energy performance and condensation problems; poor controls and specification of air to air heat pump giving poor space heating performance; poor control of solar thermal hot water system reducing performance; lack of occupant understanding of operation and maintenance for the LZCT systems. The lessons learned are relevant to all future implementations of these LZCT systems in the building stock both new build and retrofit. Possible improvements in industry and Passive House processes are discussed

No choices, no chances: how contemporary enterprise culture is failing Britain's underclasses.

Despite an increasing interest in minority entrepreneurship in recent years, the issue of underclass entrepreneurship and its linkages to enterprise culture remain under-researched. In this article, the authors examine chavs as an indigenous British underclass. Using data gathered from an Internet search and newspaper cuttings, they examine how this silent stereotyped and socially constructed minority is presented as dangerous and unemployable. In the process, they uncover hidden links between the underclass and enterprise culture, and analyse how entrepreneurship can help such minorities to achieve inclusivity via consideration of role theory and the power of narrative in initiating social transformation. This framework helps us to understand how it is possible to direct young, disadvantaged individuals towards an entrepreneurial career path via self-employment. The paper raises intriguing issues relating to youth employment and tells the story of how contemporary enterprise culture is failing one of Britain's silent minorities

Studies to determine the mechanisms of the anti-atherosclerotic effects of eicosapentaenoic acid: possible role for endocannabinoids?

The ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to have cardioprotective and antiatherosclerotic actions. While it has been proposed that ω-3 PUFAs may structurally stabilise atherosclerotic lesions, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. There is evidence that increased dietary intake of ω-3 PUFAs alters the concentration of endocannabinoids (ECs) in central and peripheral tissues and, since synthetic cannabinoid agonists have been shown to exert anti-atherosclerotic effects, this thesis explored whether a link exists between the endocannabinoid system and the beneficial effects of ω-3 PUFAs in the setting of experimental atherosclerosis. Therefore, the present studies were performed to (1) determine the impact of long-term intervention with ω-3 PUFAs on several physiological parameters, including the function of the endocannabinoid system, in an in vivo model of hypercholesterolaemia and (2) to examine the role, if any, of the activated endocannabinoid system in the activity of an in vitro model of macrophage lipid accumulation. At the cellular level, the present study demonstrated the interference of cannabinoid receptor signalling with intracellular uptake and accumulation of DHA, an effect which was demonstrated to be mediated, at least in part, via CB2 receptor signalling. Moreover, the study provided the novel observation that DHA treatment of activated macrophages significantly inhibited 2- arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) synthesis. This finding is strongly suggestive of an association between the effects of ω-3 PUFAs and regulation of the endocannabinoid system and its function. In the ApoE-/- mouse model of experimental atherosclerosis, maintenance on an atherogenic diet induced significant hyperlipidaemia, an effect which was associated with endothelial dysfunction, cardiac remodelling, and significantly elevated anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG levels in brain, heart and aortic tissues. Supplementation of the atherogenic diet with the EPA, while having a negligible impact on endothelial dysfunction or cardiac remodelling, improved the hypercholesterolaemic profile and normalised the overproduction of ECs in both central (brain) and peripheral (heart and vascular) tissues. Fenofibrate, a lipid lowering control administered as a supplement to the atherogenic diet, was observed to significantly attenuate hypercholesterolaemia, endothelial dysfunction and elevated EC levels although no effect on cardiac remodelling was observed. In light of the observation that hypercholesterolaemia was associated with elevated tissue EC levels, together with the demonstration that EPA improved hypercholeseterolaemia and attenuated EC levels suggests (1) a detrimental role of the endocannabinoid system in hypercholesterolaemia in the ApoE-/- model and (2) regulation of this interaction by ω-3 PUFAs. Given the mounting evidence implicating the endocannabinoid system in various disease pathologies, the capacity of ω-3 PUFAs to influence the activation and function of this system may prove key to their beneficial effects

An investigation of the structures and processes of pharmacist prescribing in Great Britain: a mixed methods approach.

The aim of this research was to investigate the structures and processes of pharmacist prescribing in Great Britain, focusing on primary care settings. A sequential, mixed-methods approach was employed in the conduct of the research. The first phase in January 2009 was a cross-sectional postal questionnaire of all pharmacist prescribers (n= 1,654). The questionnaire aimed to quantify the extent and nature of prescribing, and key factors associated with prescribing practice. The response rate was 42.3% (n=695). The pharmacy practice setting was significantly associated with prescribing, with those in hospital or general medical practice being more likely to have prescribed (p < 0.05) than respondents in community practice. Factor analysis of attitudinal statements on prescribing implementation revealed factors, grouped as: administrative structures and processes, perceptions of pharmacists' prescribing role and facilities for prescribing. Scores for "facilities for prescribing" varied depending on practice setting; respondents in community practice recorded lower median scores compared with those in general medical practices, but there were no statistically significant differences in median scores between respondents based in general medical practices and hospital settings. In-depth qualitative work was undertaken in the second phase, which further explored facilitators of and challenges to prescribing practice identified in phase one, such as the lack of defined prescribing roles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 34 prescribers, selected from diverse settings including secondary care from England and Scotland. The interviews aimed to highlight key factors contributing to prescribing success, which could potentially inform extrapolations of successful practice from one setting to another. The framework approach to qualitative data analysis was rigorously applied, revealing that issues around access to clinical data and administrative support in the community setting, and also the issue of professional isolation may have negatively impacted on prescribing implementation. Notably, a perceived lack of clarity and definition of the pharmacist prescribing role was a key theme in hindering prescribing practice of pharmacists, irrespective of setting. Participants described ideal roles, which they perceived as potentially providing clarity, definition and direction in order to facilitate implementation. The original data generated through this research highlights that prescribing implementation is less than desired, especially in community pharmacies. Pharmacist prescribing appears to have progressed little since supplementary prescribing developments in 2004, even with the much-heralded arrival of independent prescribing in 2006. Interestingly, phase 2 participants suggested that a hybrid supplementary/independent prescribing model would be more likely to succeed. In this model, pharmacist prescribers favour a cooperative practice arrangement, in which doctors diagnose and pharmacists prescribe

Perceived barriers towards the use of e-trade processes by Korean SMEs.

Purpose: E-trade (or electronic trading) appears to offer increased efficiency in business processes, but only a limited number of small firms in Korea have adopted the new processes. The purpose of this paper is to try to establish the obstacles and the perceived barriers to the continuing use of e-trade technologies by small Korean firms. Design/methodology/approach: The literature was employed to develop a theoretical model that includes perceived risk and the environment. The model was operationalised in a questionnaire completed by 164 respondents. LISREL validated the instrument and the model. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings: The authors found that information risk and business risk negatively affect adoption and use. The authors also tested the relationship between the environment of the organisation and adoption of e-trade. The results show that the maturity of information technology and the innovation characteristics of the firm have positive influences on the adoption of e-trade. Research limitations/implications: This study uses data from existing users, so the findings extend the existing literature about decisions to adopt and use new processes. The data are, however, limited to the Korean context. Practical implications: The study demonstrates the negative influence of perceptions about risk associated with innovative processes. Thus, this awareness and understanding of how barriers are perceived should help to increase the diffusion of e-trade systems. The authors' findings indicate what has to be done for developing and extending the use of e-trade. Originality/value: The study is novel and contributes to the understanding of the adoption and use of new processes